Proceeds will benefit chamber in mission to support, promote community

Karen Botakaren.bota@sentinel-standard.com

The Portland Area Chamber of Commerce invites women from across the community to a laid-back evening just for them as it hosts its second annual Women Wine & Dessert fundraiser at 6 p.m. May 10 at Willow Wood Golf Club.

Attendees will sample Michigan-made wines, enjoy a variety of decadent desserts from LookingGrand Café & Bakery, browse the wares of local artists and crafters and converse with friends, colleagues and others. Tickets for a raffle to take place at 8:45 p.m. will be sold for $1 each.

When the event was launched last year, Chamber President Lynne Paradiso said she didn’t know what to expect. Fifty women came and had a great time, Paradiso said. They began asking at the chamber’s business expo in February when this year’s event would be scheduled.

“I thought, why not do it again? It’s a good night for ladies to get away and pamper themselves,” she said. “It’s intimate enough, everybody walked away with something, and women can do a little shopping with local people who take the time to make handmade items.”

Wine and domestic beers will be sold separately. Attendees must be 21 to consume alcohol, but those younger and those who would prefer to enjoy their desserts with non-alcoholic beverages also will find choices among the refreshments.

Tickets for the event are $20 in advance or $30 at the door, and include a keepsake wine glass with a Michigan etching on it. Proceeds will benefit the Portland Area Chamber of Commerce in its mission to support and promote the community.

Tickets for the event can be purchased with a credit card online through Paypal, or at LookingGrand Café and Perfect Balance Hair Salon.

“A reservation for this event would make a great early Mother’s Day gift, or a gift for someone special, or somebody at work you think deserves a break,” said Paradiso.

To make a reservations or for more information, visit www.portlandareachamber.com and click on the Women Wine & Dessert tab. Email info@portlandareachamber.com with additional questions.